Skullduggery — a school of magic —
People sometimes forget that with magic, almost anything becomes possible. While a great many spells have big, flashy effects, magicians profit from the smaller, subtler forms magic takes. The Skullduggery tradition offers solutions to a raft of common challenges spellcasters face on their quests. And when they don’t solve the problem, they offer a way out of it.
Skullduggery Spells listed by level
— Reference during playSkullduggery Talents
BEAT A HASTY RETREAT (Magical): You can use this talent if you lack the confused, controlled, stunned, or unconscious afflictions when you move at least 1 yard. Until the end of your turn, your Speed increases by 5, and you gain the Slippery trait. You can use this talent once, twice at level 3, and three times at level 7. You regain expended uses after you rest. HANDY HOLE (Magical): You can use an action to open two connected hand-sized portals, one on a point within reach, and the other on a point within 10 yards. Anything entering one portal emerges from the other, such that you could reach through one portal and pluck a ring of keys from a hook on the wall some distance away. The portals remain open for 1 minute. When the effect ends, the portals close and severs anything that’s not magical reaching through them. You can use this talent once, twice at level 3, and three times at level 7. You regain expended uses after you rest. KEENEST EDGE (Magical): You can use an action to make a weapon you wield inordinately sharp. Target one edged weapon such as a dagger or sword. For 1 hour, you get critical successes with the weapon when your roll is 20 or higher; the roll need not exceed the target number by 5. In addition, when you get a critical success with a weapon, the attack deals an extra 1d6 damage. At level 3, all attacks with the blade deal an extra 2d6 damage or 4d6 damage at level 7. SNEAKY MOVES (Magical): You can use an action to gain one of the following benefits: Climber, Silent, Slippery, Squeeze (6 inches). The effect lasts 1 hour. You can use this talent once, twice at level 3, and three times at level 7. You regain expended uses after you rest.
Novice Skullduggery Spells
Danger Sense
Flee The Scene
Locate Traps
Read Anything
Sabotage Object
Sticky Fingers
Expert Skullduggery Spells
Break On Through
Filch Skill
Invisibility
Murderous Strike
My Spying Eye
Quick Change
Master Skullduggery Spells
Bend Fate
Break the Rules
- Turn your failed roll into a successful one.
- Automatically evade any pursuers in a chase (see Chapter 2).
- Grant 3 boons on the next roll a creature within 5 yards makes before the end of your next turn.
- Impose 3 banes on the next roll a creature within 5 yards makes before the end of your next turn.
- Heal all damage.
- Regain all Health lost.
- Cast an expert or novice spell without expending a casting. You need not know the spell.
- Deal maximum damage for an attack.
- End all afflictions.
- Ignore one feature within 5 yards of you, such as obscurement, challenging terrain, or a damaging hazard, until this effect ends.
Each time you make use of an option, make a luck roll. On a failure, you become cursed (luck ends). While you are cursed, you lose access to the spell’s effects.